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Private Dog Park - Would you pay for it?

8K views 79 replies 31 participants last post by  Mac's Mom 
#1 ·
Hi All, Every once in awhile I hear about an idea for dogs and I immediately come here to see what you people think.

A friend of ours is thinking about buying an 8 acre lot with a stream running through it and a large barn like structure on it. He wants to build a members only 4 seasons Dog Park. The fee would be $365.00 a year and he would allow only 1,000 members. The dogs would be "screened" for temperament and have to provide vet records. The objective is to take the fear out of dog parks and create a safe place for the dogs and their families.

I think its a great idea and I do think people would pay for it. What do you think?
 
#34 ·
Yeah when it comes to private property I'm pretty sure those laws don't count. But I live in a pretty big city, I grew up in Chicago, and I just don't see many people paying that high of a premium to use something other than the public parks. You have to remember most people don't realize there could be trouble at a dog park. So without those other things adding value to the park, I can't see many people joining. There are always enough places to go with your dog for free.

We have enough people at our county parks that don't pay the $20 yearly pass and just go for free. I've gone to dog parks so much and without this forum I would've never known or thought about the dangers. I've seen very few fights, very few problems, and in general people are pretty good at the ones I've gone to.
 
#35 ·
What bocron described will be your biggest issue...for 20 a year I will look past the problems the other dogs are causing and will deal with them by avoiding or leaving. For 300+ a year I can't just ignore, I've paid to make sure the park is up to my standard, I want my dog to be safe, and I'm not just going to leave because it's not a safe place and then come back when I think the danger is gone. Charging people for premium services causes a lot more problems when it comes to not meeting expectations.
 
#36 ·
Honestly, no, I wouldn't. (not saying it's a bad idea though)

1: That's a lot of money that I could use toward training, equipment, and care for my dogs. I do not have a settled schedule for work and I have a busy lifestyle, so there's no way I'd be there every day. I would probably go 2-3 times a week if I'm lucky. I don't see the value in it for us.

2: I have 3 dogs. One that LOVES other dogs and would definitely benefit from a park. She's more of a golden retriever then a GSD. The puppy I will absolutely not put in a dog park... even screened. Too much going for that pup, I can't have her injured or any behavioral issues by someone being careless or any fights (dogs are still animals... screened or not, they will happen). And then there's Duke... He doesn't enjoy being around many other dogs. He likes a few and will play all day with them.... but, there's a certain few he doesn't like (and there's no warning). At that point, he means business and can be dangerous. I'm pretty sure he would not even make it passed the screening process because of that (if they were to do it like I would expect for a park charging that much). And I wouldn't trust him at a full dog park. So overall, I would have 1 dog that could actually enjoy it and two that would have to stay home in their crates while she went to play. After running around a dog park... I would have to come home and work 2 others.... No thanks. I don't have the time for that and I wouldn't want my other two suffering.

3: I just don't enjoy dog parks anymore... too many around here get "cliquey". It's almost like high school all over again. Too many ignorant, bad dog owners in my area.... I don't think we could enjoy a park like this without someone ruining it.

The dog park scene just doesn't appeal to me. However, for the single dog owner that has a set schedule weekly (normal 9-5, M-F type job)..... that would probably be worth it. If that was my lifestyle... I would look into that. I know it DOES appeal to many, given the right area and demand for it.

Bocron's ideas are great and I'm sure I'd probably enjoy that park if I could give up that money each year. If your friend listens to the suggestions they posted about their park, his park will probably turn out pretty well.

Good luck to your friend! It's a cool idea, just may be a bit hard to pull off at first.
 
#37 ·
I went to the dog park today and was thinking about this thread and what others have mentioned on here. The price has gone up so much and will now be $365/year. I only go so Mikko can swim without getting eaten by alligators, he rarely plays with another dog and there are many parks in my town I can take him off leash to play and chase squirrels, some have creeks he can cool off in too (no gators). In six years, this is actually the first time I've considered not renewing our membership. I might use that money to buy him an above ground pool to swim in and take him to other parks.
I think everyone is right that the park needs to be something special- the only off leash option, or the only off leash option with water or the biggest off leash place, etc.
If I had a lake to take Mikko to, I would have dropped my membership about three years ago.
 
#43 ·
Oh man...I would pay more than that to have "screened applicants" at the dog park! To me, the people willing to pay that kind of money probably also invest in other aspects of their dogs well-being (temperment, etc) I think that's an incredible idea personally.

My dog goes bananas for the dog park...like nuclear happiness...but we go less and less because nobody there watches their dogs. Bummer.
 
#45 ·
We have something like that in our area, and it seems to be very popular because lots of the dog owners I meet at our favorite spot mention taking their dogs there. It's the same price, too.

I went to check it out a few months ago. My dog passed the initial evaluation, but he's failed 2 criteria: he isn't neutered, and he doesn't have flea prevention. So even if I wanted to join, I couldn't at this point.
 
#48 ·
We do not require the dogs be neutered (our aren't so we didn't want to be hypocrites) and we don't require flea treatment. The flea treatment requirement is pretty silly, I mean if you don't want your own dog to get fleas then treat it, otherwise you're the one taking the risk so why should it matter. It's not like we could treat the entire 12 acres for fleas/ticks so they are out there no matter what. Plus, at our place they spend most of their time in the water.
 
#49 ·
A spay/neuter requirement seems like a good idea on the face of it, but would be hard to enforce and problematic in many ways. Not to mention, it would automatically restrict owners of show dogs, who are the exact people who would want to pay for a private park.

Obviously, you'd have to have a "no females in heat" rule, because there would be someone just stupid enough to bring their cycling females thinking a private dog park would be "safe". :rolleyes:
 
#50 ·
You've all brought up a lot of thought provoking points and potential issues and I'll share them with Jim. I was going to cut & paste them into a document but I didn't expect this many replies. I think I'll just have him read the post himself :)

Jim and I see this from two different perspectives. Jim's the kinda guy who likes animals more than people. He's thinking of this from the dog's point of view. He wants to build a safe place for dogs to be off leash. He's not particularly interested in what the humans want :)

Me, I love surrounding myself with dog people and their dogs. I like the dog park because I like to get to know all different kinds of dogs and talk about dog related things with people who like dogs. Thats why this is the only forum I go to and my only facebook page is the one for my dogs. I'm seeing this as a social place for dog lovers as well as a safe place for dogs.

And another thing about Jim. He's an independently weathly guy who just wants to do this and does not expect to profit only cover his costs.
 
#51 ·
And another thing about Jim. He's an independently weathly guy who just wants to do this and does not expect to profit only cover his costs.
Perfect! Sounds like he's got realistic expectations, and if he has money to burn, why not? I think with him as the "dog guy", and you as the "people person", you could make great business partners! And since he doesn't seem to care about profit, just make sure YOUR salary will get paid, and it's all good. :)

In my area, independently wealthy people who need a tax shelter start up high-end boutiques or wineries. They are almost guaranteed not to make a profit, so basically, the expenses are all written off on income tax as a loss, which saves money. You can only do this for 5 years before you either have to start making a profit, or calling this a "hobby" and cannot use it as a write-off.

A private dog park would be a similar type of situation for someone with more money than they know what to do with.
 
#61 ·
Got directed over here and wanted to chime in.



Honestly, for this size, I do not think it will work or make any money or draw the people you want for that price. NOR are you (Jim..) going to
want 1000 dogs on 8 acres. I work at this park www.meadowrunpark.com that Onyx posted back at page one or two... we have about 300 dog members now, and we're about to start slowing it down. And we have 25 acres. Most you'll get out here on the weekends at one time is 50 or so dogs, but that is 2 dogs/acre on average and we don't want it to become congested.

If he lowered the price (that's the price WE charge for a full year's membership...) then he might be able to make it work, but I wouldn't allow more than 100 members or so, so it might not be worth it.

No, for $365.00, I can get 4.5 sets of training classes. I need them more, and would go to them.

I don't necessarily think it is a bad idea, though, but how would you police it? Would everyone get a credit card type key to use to get in and out? How often would you go wear out the pooper scooper? Would you have it segregated between large dogs and small dogs, or weight limits toward large or small dogs? How much time would you spend on complaints? And what kind of insurance would you have to buy?
This is what we do at the park where I work. We have a program called Intelli that is on our computer and a box on the gate at the fence, and when a member joins they get a key card for it that is a proximity card, to get in when the office is closed or if they don't want to walk through the office. The program logs who comes and goes and when of course, so we see it all on our computer and can monitor who's here when we're not. We are in the office about 80-90% of the time the park is available to be used by members (dusk till dawn) so the staff handles any behavior issues as needed and processes visitors. We might have a formal complaint every 5 months or so... very seldom. Every couple of months we might have a small tiff with no bloodshed between dogs in the park, to be expected, not everyone gets along, and sometimes members have drama amongst themselves that we keep track of, too... but we don't spend much time overall on issues like that between the dogs and members.

We have poop stations all over the park and the members help each other notice when their dog's are going if someone is distracted. Otherwise, the staff walks the park every morning and picks up extra piles and we remind members of the rule if we see them purposefully breaking it. :)

Thanks again for all of the feedback. I’ve read all of the posts and appreciate the insight which I will share with Jim. I've listed & commented on some of the issues & suggestions raised.
Water – its not easy to find a place to take dogs swimming so I think the stream will be very cool. Not sure if its deep enough water for dock diving but that’s a great idea.
Safety – Dogs & Owners are screened
Clean – Because they are members, people are more likely to participate in keeping it clean. However, the staff member will also be responsible for cleaning
Complaints – He was thinking of having member meetings to discuss issues
Supervision – He said there would be people there to accommodate the members’ needs, I assume they will also supervise. Good point to bring up.
Grooming – Good suggestion…I’ll mention it to him
Agility course set up-We suggested this and he agrees this is important to have
Nosework and obedience training –Not something he’s considering now but may be for the future.
Wash Off Station – He plans on having this.
Pick up & Drop Off Service – For people too busy to take their own dogs to the park
County/State Parks – Cost $3.00 a day or $20.00 a season. Dogs & owners are not screened. Its not monitored, people bring their small dogs in the large breed section, health & temperament are unknown, responsibility level of owners is unknown
Multi-Dog – He was thinking of allowing unlimited dogs, but the points brought up here may change his mind.
Our pond with regulation sized dock for dock diving is 7' deep, so he'd want something about that for the dogs if he wanted a dock... That would take up a large part of the park though, too. We have indoor self-serve grooming tubs which make us a lot of money, would be a good idea for him to invest in.

Just to get an idea of other policies, we allow no more than 4 dogs per person in the park, and this hasn't been an issue yet.. usually with the space they're going seperate ways and members know what they can handle. We have reduced fees for each additional dog in the same family, and we do terminate memberships and talk to owners who are not diligent with training/managing their dogs in the park.
 
#62 ·
When you mean private dog park does this mean we get to use the dog park individually? I would pay for that. Some enclosed space to work on recall and training without other dogs there.

Or do you mean private for those who have been prescreened to use the park? My dogs would fail :( Even if they didn't fail, I don't think I'd pay for it. Despite the prescreening of temperament, it's hard to envision what the dogs will be like together. To me, it isn't very much different from another dog park...
 
#63 ·
When you mean private dog park does this mean we get to use the dog park individually? I would pay for that. Some enclosed space to work on recall and training without other dogs there.

Or do you mean private for those who have been prescreened to use the park? My dogs would fail :( Even if they didn't fail, I don't think I'd pay for it. Despite the prescreening of temperament, it's hard to envision what the dogs will be like together. To me, it isn't very much different from another dog park...
The OP is talking about a space for "rent" where it's JUST you and your dogs, no other dogs.

However, I think you'd be surprised at the difference temperament screening towards dogs does in a private park setting. There is a public county park around here where we hear about fights weekly, requiring ER Vet trips, etc. and many members come here after going there... we have had one real dog fight ever that required a trip to the (regular hours appointment) vet... and we've been open for two years, all year round.
 
#66 ·
Sorry I didn't realize their were more replies. Thanks for taking the time. His orginal idea before Mike and I started describing our dream dog park, was simply to have a safe place for people to take their dogs. I think people are going to expect a lot more than that. And I honestly don't think he's interested in all of that. The entire venture now seems exhausting and overwhelming and if it were me, I wouldn't do it.
 
#68 ·
I was on fb yesterday chatting with someone that owns a small local dogpark. I don't know how successful it is as I don't go there and there are a few around to compete with. Her dream or future goal is to have an indoor 'wellness' facility with pool, underwater treadmills, core exercise equipment. I think that is a great idea, especially when the snow limits some of the outdoor exercise or dogs needing PT. And it is needed in this town!
I'd pay to use something like that on a regular basis.
 
#69 ·
I was on fb yesterday chatting with someone that owns a small local dogpark. I don't know how successful it is as I don't go there and there are a few around to compete with. Her dream or future goal is to have an indoor 'wellness' facility with pool, underwater treadmills, core exercise equipment. I think that is a great idea, especially when the snow limits some of the outdoor exercise or dogs needing PT. And it is needed in this town!
I'd pay to use something like that on a regular basis.
We drove around to check out the land today and its pretty awesome. There is a clubhouse on the property could be used for indoor activities.

I love the idea of a wellness center. Mike and I tough it out pretty well during the winter to keep the boys active but it would be nice for them to get in the water.
 
#70 ·
I know honestly he's not in this to make a lot of money but I am trying to think of some revenue generating ideas. He wants it to be just about the dogs but like some people have said its the people who are paying :)
 
#71 ·
Training classes are a good way to bring in revenue. Also holding trials and workshops(big name trainers) at the facility can bring in extra $.
But then you'd have the members limited in their access if the place was closed for trials or whatever...unless it was large enough for a designated trial area.
 
#73 ·
great ideas I love it. Thank you.

Jim has said a few times that he wants Mike & I involved but because its been awhile since last we spoke seriously about it, I'm not sure what he's expecting. Maybe he just wants me to do the upfront marketing and Mike the IT stuff. I don't know. But I'm seeing this as an opportunity to build some sort of a rescue as well. I know I'm jumping the gun but I'm really excited now.
 
#74 ·
I'd love to be in it from the ground up...really I think it would be a good opportunity to help with rescue.

Has he viewed websites of other dogparks to get idea's of layout and activities/perks?
 
#76 ·
I'd love to be in it from the ground up...really I think it would be a good opportunity to help with rescue.

Has he viewed websites of other dogparks to get idea's of layout and activities/perks?
are you speaking literally? like if I can get the rescue part going you want to be involved? or are you speaking figuratively? just asking because if I can get this part going I will be reaching out

and aside from the information we've shared with him, i don't know how much competitive research he's done.
 
#75 ·
google the wantage nj dog park. some photos and video. we donate 100.00 a year. plenty of room, 4 "clean" porta potty for the humans. running well water fro the dogs, a stream outside the back gate for swimming, a few picnic tables and gazeebo to get out of the sun if needed. a smaller area fro pups and smaller dogs. since wife and i use it often we donate, others simply use it for free. mostly the same people, we all clean up after our dogs. only one problem dog and he was asked to leave by the regulars. why would i join a private dog park.
 
#77 ·
I don't know if I've mentioned this before but one of Jim's ideas was to pick up the dogs and bring them to the dog park...pretty much for people who want their dogs to have fun but don't have the time for them
 
#78 ·
It's really a great idea, I wish all dog parks were screened. I think people would definitely pay for it.
 
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